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East is no better than last season overall

here is a post from another thread. How is the east any better than last season, please explain.

I keep reading that many of the eastern conference teams have improved themselves.

Not sure if you mean through trades/free agents or just through younger players geting better.

Besides the Heat who were going to be a 50-53 win team anyway, name for me one team that has improved themselves.

Let me go down the list:

Pistons: They are the same team as they were during the playoffs. They don't need to improve themselves. Same

Nets: Taken a major step backwards. Worse

Cavs: Losing Boozer really hurts. They might win a few more games than they did last seaon, but they are not going to be as good as they would have if they kept Boozer or at least got something for him. Worse

Bucks: they might improve slightly due to younger players getting better, but what moves have they made that improves them. Same

Sixers: Better coach, if they are healthy, they will be better. But I don't see them as contenders though. Better

Wizards: they have talent last season, but horrible chemistry. They should be better, but then they should have been better last season. Better

Magic: They have made the most changes, and will win more than 21 games. But the Pacers should still be able to go 3-1 against them. Better

Raptors: Different coach. I don't see them getting better. Same

Bulls: Who knows they should be better. Better

Hornets changed to Bobcats. Much worse

Hawks: 28 wins they might win 35 games at most. Slightly better.

Knicks: I see this team as being a mess. Houston is still having knee problems. They have some talent. Same

Celts: different coach who IMO is not any better than there former coach, O'Brien Same

have I missed any teams.

here is the bottom line, although I doubt anyone is still reading, raise your hand if you are.

Re: East is no better than last season overall

I agree; it's not much improved. Heat were gonna be better either way, now they are for different reasons.

Detroit is virtually the same; we might be a little better with Jax (a lot if we're lucky), and the Nets just lost any chance they had at competing.

No one else is significantly better. Hornets aren't even here.

Even the West; the top teams. Their depth of solid teams remains strong, but who's gonna give a crap about their 2nd round exits in May? No; the focus is the top dogs, which are now the Spurs, Kings, Rockets, Timberwolves.

Rockets are pretty improved, but that's what brings them UP to top dog status, not better than the rest. Spurs are swapping Turk and Mercer w/ Brent Barry. OK. Should help. But not an earth-shattering change.

Kings are the same, possibly minus Vlade. Not better.

Timberwolves are seemingly exactly the same. They're a good team, but they can't play good D. Not better.

No reason we can't do as well as last year, if not better. Both in the regular and post season.

Re: East is no better than last season overall

From Indiana's perspective, it doesn't really matter. Most of those "improved" teams still aren't good enough to beat Minnesota, San Antonio or Sacramento in a 7 game series. And the Pacers have improved, at least in the playoffs. And we know that our team could beat any team on that list in a 7 game series, so who cares if the Jazz will now be the 4th seed instead of the 8th? Only 8 teams can make the playoffs, so even if 5-8 have managed to improve enough to beat last year's 1-4 (they haven't imo), they're still not good enough to beat us or the Pistons in a 7 game series.

I think it's funny, because during the Lakers runs to the title, everyone talked about how dominant the West was. In truth, they had 2 teams that were head and shoulders above the Eastern Conference, but the talent dropped off dramatically from there. In fact, in those years, the Eastern Conference, as a whole, was a more talented conference than the West, but there were no dominant players in the East, so the West was superior.

Now, the situation is almost completely reversed. The West has a lot of teams that are pretty good, but none that should beat the top 2 teams in the East. Yet the assumption is that because of this, the West is dominant.

In summary: the sky is not falling, return to your homes and continue rooting for the Pacers to win a title. That is all.

Re: East is no better than last season overall

Detroit isn't exactly the same. They will have better chemistry and possibly a better bench if Antonio gets his old form back. Also the Bucks were without T.J. Ford for a LONG time. The Wizards got much better with Jamison.

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Re: East is no better than last season overall

If the Bucks run into the Heat in the playoffs, they can beat the Heat with the way they shoot from outside the arc. They are very beatable.

Write off the Nets and the rest of the Atlantic division. The Nets are worse, while the rest of the division is better (but still horrible)

We can beat the Pistons. Yes we can. A guy like Brewer or Jack on Rip seems to be the answer. We've seen how Croshere opens up the middle. Now all we need to see is a healthy team, and to get a second chance at Detroit.

The Bucks are a middle of the road team that we can handle. The Cavs are worse and the Bulls aren't good YET.

Re: East is no better than last season overall

We can beat the Pistons. Yes we can. A guy like Brewer or Jack on Rip seems to be the answer. We've seen how Croshere opens up the middle. Now all we need to see is a healthy team, and to get a second chance at Detroit.

Let me get this right. Artest (the so called best defensive player in the NBA) couldn't stop Rip but Brewer or Jack seems to be the answer?

Re: East is no better than last season overall

Artest is a good one on one defender but he is not a chaser. His body is to wide to get through all of those picks. Jackson and Brewer are faster and narrower so they can chase Rip around a lot better than Artest and both are good defenders.

Re: East is no better than last season overall

Artest is a good one on one defender but he is not a chaser. His body is to wide to get through all of those picks. Jackson and Brewer are faster and narrower so they can chase Rip around a lot better than Artest and both are good defenders.

Bingo. I've seen smaller dudes like Bruce Bowen completely shut Rip down. It's not how good a defender Ron is, it's what type of defender he is...

Re: East is no better than last season overall

Artest is a good one on one defender but he is not a chaser. His body is to wide to get through all of those picks. Jackson and Brewer are faster and narrower so they can chase Rip around a lot better than Artest and both are good defenders.

Bingo. I've seen smaller dudes like Bruce Bowen completely shut Rip down. It's not how good a defender Ron is, it's what type of defender he is...

Bowen guards Rip better than anyone, but he is NOT a smaller guy. Rip will post up any guard shoter than 6'4," he proved that against freddie Jones. Sticking Brewer on him would be insulting.

And Jackson isnt an awnser for Rip either, Jackson has been Rip's personal whipping boy, even when jackson had duncan and robinson behind him.

And Croshere? come on, lol. He had one good game, larry adjusted, and we rendered him completely useless the next 2 games. Assuming hes EVER going to have another game 4 vs us is expecting a tad too much.
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It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

Artest is a good one on one defender but he is not a chaser. His body is to wide to get through all of those picks. Jackson and Brewer are faster and narrower so they can chase Rip around a lot better than Artest and both are good defenders.

Bingo. I've seen smaller dudes like Bruce Bowen completely shut Rip down. It's not how good a defender Ron is, it's what type of defender he is...

Bowen guards Rip better than anyone, but he is NOT a smaller guy. Rip will post up any guard shoter than 6'4," he proved that against freddie Jones. Sticking Brewer on him would be insulting.

And Jackson isnt an awnser for Rip either, Jackson has been Rip's personal whipping boy, even when jackson had duncan and robinson behind him.

And Croshere? come on, lol. He had one good game, larry adjusted, and we rendered him completely useless the next 2 games. Assuming hes EVER going to have another game 4 vs us is expecting a tad too much.

Word, that brings back good memories. Two years ago in the 2nd round. "I"verson had to guard Rip. LMAO!! They kept throwing it to Rip in the low post and he would back him down with two dribbles and blaze a jumper.

I still fail to see how can Jackson and Brewer be the answer when Kobe (who is a damn good defender) got burned by Rip. PLus don't get it twisted, everybody on the Pistons starting line-up is capable of having a good game. So you can't really focus on one guy (Rip) because other guys (C.Bill, Tay, Wallace Brothers) will kill you if you cheat off of them.

Remember when J.O. kept cheating off of Ben to help other guys and Ben kept knocking down easy lay-ups.

Re: East is no better than last season overall

Im going to have to disagree on a few points, MVP........

Pistons: They are the same team as they were during the playoffs. They don't need to improve themselves. Same

I disagree. We gave up a guy that couldnt get off our bench for Antonio McDyess and Carlos Delfino. Basically they will be our 6th and 7th men. They make us bigger, stronger and better defensively. In my book thats an improvement, assuming dyce stays healthy.

Better coach, if they are healthy, they will be better. But I don't see them as contenders though. Better

Agreed up to a higher degree. Igoudala and SKinner are the two best additions in the eats that nobody talks about. Philly could be a top-4 seed this year.

Magic: They have made the most changes, and will win more than 21 games. But the Pacers should still be able to go 3-1 against them. Better

The magic will be a playoff team reguardless. Their starting 5 [francis, mobley, hill, howard, Cato] can compete with any starting 5 in the east, its their bench that will kill them. Still a 6-7 seed, easy.

Hornets changed to Bobcats. Much worse

And the Hornets have been the East's most overrated team for the last 5 years straight. They wont even be a playoff team out west. Good riddance to them. Better than the Bobcats? Sure, but that wont last 3 years.

The west has gotten better.

No it hasnt. WHen the best team by FAR in your conference suddenly takes two GIANT steps back, you do NOT get better.

Minnesota's backcourt is a year older, and I think they were the oldest guard pair in the NBA LAST year.

Nash ran EVERYTHING in dallas and they lost him for nothing. Now they have a lot of gunners and nobody to distrubte the ball. Do the math.

The Suns only get better if the Clips dont match the offer for QRich, and trust me, they will. Which leaves the Suns with Nash, Marion, Stoudamire, and a bunch of projects. Suns wont be a playoff team, theyll be lucky to break the top 10.

It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

Re: East is no better than last season overall

I disagree. We gave up a guy that couldnt get off our bench for Antonio McDyess and Carlos Delfino. Basically they will be our 6th and 7th men. They make us bigger, stronger and better defensively. In my book thats an improvement, assuming dyce stays healthy.

Agreed up to a higher degree. Igoudala and SKinner are the two best additions in the eats that nobody talks about. Philly could be a top-4 seed this year.

The magic will be a playoff team reguardless. Their starting 5 [francis, mobley, hill, howard, Cato] can compete with any starting 5 in the east, its their bench that will kill them. Still a 6-7 seed, easy.

And the Hornets have been the East's most overrated team for the last 5 years straight. They wont even be a playoff team out west. Good riddance to them. Better than the Bobcats? Sure, but that wont last 3 years.

Minnesota's backcourt is a year older, and I think they were the oldest guard pair in the NBA LAST year.

Nash ran EVERYTHING in dallas and they lost him for nothing. Now they have a lot of gunners and nobody to distrubte the ball. Do the math.

The Suns only get better if the Clips dont match the offer for QRich, and trust me, they will. Which leaves the Suns with Nash, Marion, Stoudamire, and a bunch of projects. Suns wont be a playoff team, theyll be lucky to break the top 10.

1. Miss Cleo predicts Dice will tear his ACL in a preseason game. Delfino will be good.

2. Philly is terrible and will stay that way if Iverson has another bad year and gets older and more beaten up. Brian Skinner is an impact player? LOL.

3. Agreed to that. But the Franchise's street ballin isn't taking him anywhere in the playoffs.

4. Uh, no. The Hornets were stacked with talent but unfortunately had a complete meltdown due to a awful coaching and a locker room cancer's (Mashburn) fighting with management. Quality roster, but it just didn't happen. Byron Scott could help them in the west, but it will be hard.

5. Sam Cassell still is a scoring machine no matter how old he is and Latrell Spreewell still is a shark... he smells blood and he strikes. Oh yeah, Minnesota also still has this fella who is the reigning MVP, heard he's pretty good.

6. Dallas was never a factor come playoff time, why would you even bring them up?

7. the Suns getting better with an aging PG who is known for having back troubles and for being a defensive liability

8. Finally, I noticed you neglected to mention San Antonio. What gives?
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